Harry Theyard

Harry Theyard, born Harry L. Theard, Jr. on September 28, 1929, in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an American operatic tenor whose career spanned opera houses, Broadway stages, and television. He graduated from Loyola University of the South in 1957, where he trained under Dorothy Hulse, a teacher also credited with instructing Audrey Schuh and Charles Anthony. He later pursued further vocal study in New York with Armen Boyajian, whose other students included Marisa Galvany, Paul Plishka, and Samuel Ramey.

Theyard's operatic beginnings took place in his hometown with the New Orleans Opera Association, where he took on secondary roles in productions including Salome in 1949, Le nozze di Figaro in 1956, and both Il trovatore, opposite Herva Nelli, and The Beggar's Opera, directed by Lillian Gish, in 1958. He made his debut with the New York City Opera in 1959 in The Devil and Daniel Webster, directed by John Houseman. His tenure with that company brought him into several world premieres: Robert Ward's The Crucible, starring Chester Ludgin; Carlisle Floyd's The Passion of Jonathan Wade, with Phyllis Curtin; and Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man, conducted by Christopher Keene. By 1970, Theyard had become one of the City Opera's leading tenors, appearing in a wide range of repertoire including Madama Butterfly, Mefistofele opposite Norman Treigle, Tosca with Galvany, Turandot, La fanciulla del West, Les contes d'Hoffmann, Carmen, Susannah, Cavalleria rusticana, Louise, and The Makropoulos Case.

His association with the Metropolitan Opera began in 1966 with the Metropolitan Opera National Company, where he sang in La traviata and La bohème. In 1970, he portrayed Curly in the world premiere of Floyd's Of Mice and Men at the Seattle Opera. At the Spoleto Festival in 1973, he appeared in Manon Lescaut alongside Nancy Shade, in a production directed by Luchino Visconti and conducted by Thomas Schippers. Theyard's debut at the Metropolitan Opera itself came in 1974 and encompassed an extensive series of productions: Les contes d'Hoffmann with Dame Joan Sutherland, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria rusticana, the role of Grigori in Boris Godunov, La forza del destino directed by John Dexter, L'assedio di Corinto during Beverly Sills's house debut, and Il tabarro with Renata Scotto. From 1976, he returned to New Orleans for leading roles in Manon Lescaut, Lucia di Lammermoor, Andrea Chénier, La bohème, and Carmen, the last opposite Shirley Verrett.

Between 1965 and 1966, Theyard appeared in two Broadway productions. He originated the role of Anselmo the muleteer in Man of La Mancha in 1965, introducing the song "Little Bird, Little Bird" in that production. The following year he played Owen Morgan in A Time for Singing, a musical adaptation of How Green Was My Valley. His recordings include the original cast album of Man of La Mancha alongside Richard Kiley and Joan Diener, released on MCA, as well as the 1974 EMI recording of Rossini's L'assedio di Corinto with Beverly Sills, Shirley Verrett, Justino Díaz, and Thomas Schippers, and a 1976 live recording of Refice's Cecilia with Renata Scotto on VAI. In 1975, Theyard appeared on the CBS television Christmas special A Handful of Souls.